


Kiss With a Fist

by bluebellfantasy



Series: Snapshots [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Discipline according to Barret Wallace, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Remake Spoilers, Funny Barret Wallace, Gen, Ice Cream, Marlene Wallace is precious, Random & Short, Shrina propaganda, Slight FFVIIRemake spoilers, Stamp the Dog, Wallace Family, funny idea, random idea, the Stamp Song is soooo annoying ugh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebellfantasy/pseuds/bluebellfantasy
Summary: Marlene shows her Daddy what she's made of when some kids in her class are mean to her.
Relationships: Barret Wallace & Marlene Wallace
Series: Snapshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764661
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Kiss With a Fist

**Author's Note:**

> This will be the beginning of a series called "Snapshots," in which there will be just random little oneshots about certain FFVII characters and their lives. Most will be funny, but some will be more dramatic/sad/angsty. Please comment and leave kudos! Thank you!

By all accounts, Marlene Wallace was a well-behaved girl.

She was never rude. She never intentionally hurt someone’s feelings. She hardly ever talked back – and on the rare occasions she did, she was quick and eager to apologize. She teased her friends lightly, but also held them accountable when she knew they could do or be better. For a four year old girl, Marlene Wallace was smart beyond her years. Her wide, coffee-brown eyes held a unique combination of naivete and ancient wisdom. She showered those she loved the best she could in her small, four-year-old ways: a cool rock found on the side of the road, a weed naively mistaken for a flower, or a simple hug.

Marlene had so much love to give.

Which was why Barret was beyond baffled when he got the phone call.

Barret didn’t want to put Marlene in school. Hell, _he_ could probably teach her better than a lot of the teachers out there. But when Marlene had innocently asked why she didn’t go to school, he hesitated. And when she pressed her feelings of _wanting_ to go to school, he caved. Those big brown eyes of hers were going to be the death of him one of these days.

He had managed to put Marlene into a decent preschool, and for a reasonable price. She was only there for half of the day – 9AM to 1PM – so that she could spent the afternoons with Tifa and the evenings with her Daddy after AVALANCHE runs. Barret was usually available to pick her up from school, hoisting her up on one shoulder (she weighed next to nothing) while the other kids looked at the huge, 300-plus pound man in both fear and awe. Marlene would talk about her day, what was cool, and why it was cool. And Barret listened with rapt interest.

The thought of her usually chatting excitedly about her day was the furthest thing from his mind, however. The phone call from the school principal echoed in his mind:

“ _Mr. Wallace? We are going to need you to pick your daughter up from school. She’s...causing trouble.”_

Marlene, _his sweet little girl,_ causing _trouble?_ Barret smelled BS. But seeing as how he didn’t want to further stir the pot, he simply said he’d be right over. With all the force of a bulldozer on legs, Barret stomped his way over to the school. Inwardly, he tried to calm his worries. Marlene would _never_ cause trouble. It was against her nature. But there was always a first time for everything, and Barret knew firsthand how feisty his little girl could be at times.

“If anything ever happens to you at school, you can tell me.” He had told her that at least ever since she started school. Marlene would always smile, tell him she knew, and went about her business. Barret ran a hand down his face. Did something happen that she didn’t tell him about?

Shoving these thoughts aside, Barret opened the door to the school. The office was right in front of him, and he walked to it in two huge strides. The receptionist glanced up at him, her eyes widening as she saw the size of the man towering above her.

“Barret Wallace, here to pick up my daughter.” He said to her. The receptionist nodded meekly before telling him to come inside and take the first door on the right. Barret nodded his thanks, making his way to the principal’s office. He heard a small gasp from the secretary, and he inwardly rolled his eyes. Everyone who saw his gun-arm for the first time reacted that way.

He opened the office door, poking his head inside. The principal – a surprisingly young woman with round glasses – sat behind a desk. In front of the desk, in a chair that was much too big for her, sat Marlene. She looked behind her to see who had entered, but just as quickly looked away. Barret’s heart sank when he saw her red eyes.

“I appreciate you coming down here, Mr. Wallace,” the principal said softly with a smile. She gestured to the chair beside Marlene. Barret sat down, trying to get uncomfortable in such a tiny chair.

Barret cringed slightly. “Call me Barret, please.” _Mr. Wallace_ made him feel old.

The principal blinked. “Okay, Mr. Barret -”

“ _Just_ Barret,” Barret corrected her as he sat down. “Now what’s this all about?” he said, getting right down to business.

“Well, Marlene just got into some trouble on the playground today,” The principal said simply. “And...engaged in some aggressive behavior.” she added as an afterthought.

Barret narrowed his eyes. “She _hurt_ someone?” _What a load of crap._

The principal nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned across the desk and looked at Marlene with kind eyes. “Marlene, honey, do you want to tell your dad what happened?”

Marlene shook her head wildly, wiping her eyes with her hand.

The principal sighed. “Okay then,” she turned her attention to Barret, straightening up in her chair. “Another student – a boy – and his group of friends told a teacher that Marlene had hit him. The teacher took them to me, and they told me the same. So I brought Marlene down here to ask what happened, but she hasn’t said a word.” She paused, and said quietly, “she said I wouldn’t understand, and that only you would.”

Barret raised his eyebrows. “Do you want me to try to get her to tell you what happened? Is that what you want?”

The principal shook her head, smiling slightly. “Not at all. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to tell me anything, and I’ve tried everything I know.”

Barret chuckled. “Yeah, she can be stubborn.”

“So I just thought I’d get you to pick her up. She’s had a hard day, and she’s been saying she wants you for the past half hour.” The principal finished lightly. But Barret knew the look in her eyes: _the minute you find out what happens, call and tell me._

_Depends on what happened,_ Barret thought dryly to himself. He thanked the principal, scooped up Marlene with his good arm, and proceeded to walk out of the school. Marlene burrowed her face in his shirt, sniffling slightly.

When they walked out into the warm spring air, Barret gently set her down on her feet. He then crouched in front of her, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

“Baby, what happened?” he asked, his voice soft.

Marlene’s eyes immediately welled with tears. “Oh, Daddy!” She buried her face in her small hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Barret gaped at her. He had never seen Marlene cry so hard, apart from the times she had hurt herself pretty significantly.

“I’m sorry, Daddy!” she wailed, her voice slightly muffled.

Barret gently pried her hands away from her face. “What? What are you talking about, honey?”

Marlene looked at him, tears rolling down her precious cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She shook her head, whimpering.

_Why is she so scared?_ Barret thought, bewildered. He wiped the tears from her cheeks before pulling her into a hug. Marlene’s tiny body shook with her cries, and Barret rubbed her back soothingly. _Good Gaia help me,_ he plead silently.

“I don’t wanna get in trouble!” Marlene moaned into his shoulder.

_Say what?_ Barret pulled her away from him at arms length. “Honey, you’re not in trouble,” he reassured, in the softest voice he could manage. “Daddy just wants to know what happened, so Daddy can know whether or not he needs to kick a kid’s butt. But it looks like you’ve already done that.”

Marlene let out a little giggle through her tears. “Yeah,” she said. Her face fell again. “I just don’t want you to be mad.” she said quietly.

Barret felt a sharp pain in his heart. “I won’t be mad, angel. Just tell me what happened,” he pleaded.

Marlene looked at him closely. She seemed to register the intensity of his words and the soft light in his eyes. She sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I was on the playground...”

“Yeah?” Barret urged.

“...and some kids were singing the Stamp Song,” she continued. Marlene paused, seeming to choose her next words very carefully. “So I went up and told them...uh…”

“What did you tell them?” Barret asked softly, squeezing her small hand in his.

Marlene shut her eyes tight, as if to shut out the memory. “I told them it was a brainwashing, stupid Shinra propaganda song, because that’s what you told me.”

If a airship fell from the sky, Barret would probably feel less shocked.

A tear sneaked out from behind her closed eyes. “And then they all laughed at me and kept singing. I told them to stop, but Billy said I was stupid and to shut up. So I...hit him.” Marlene opened her eyes and looked at her father pleadingly. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I already asked him to stop and they wouldn’t. And I got so mad, and I felt bad and said I was sorry but he went and told a teacher and I got in trouble...” her voice trailed off.

Barret looked at his little girl, who was barely tall enough to reach his knee. Seeing her tears cut him to the core, and so did her story of the boys who laughed at her. He bit his tongue as he thought of the main boy, Billy, and how he said she was stupid and told her to shut up. If Marlene hadn’t hit him, he would be on his way back to the school to do it himself.

On the flip side, a warm sense of pride was taking hold. He always knew his little girl was a fighter. He always knew she could take care of herself, for the most part. Barret tried to keep Marlene out of AVALANCHE, out of his vicious and strong feelings towards Shinra – a child shouldn’t have to deal with such complicated things. _But Marlene had been paying attention._ She had somehow heard his remark about that stupid, annoying, piece-of-crap song about that _damn dog_. _And_ she had stood up for what her father had said. No wonder she didn’t want to tell the principal what happened.

The image of his little girl, telling a group of boys that the “Stamp Song” was a brainwashing piece of Shinra propaganda...he couldn’t help but smile.

“Are you mad?” Marlene asked, cracking open one eye to look at Barret.

Barret threw his head back, letting out a loud, booming laugh. He gripped Marlene by the shoulders. “ _Mad_? Hell – I mean, _heck_ no! Why would I be mad?! I couldn’t be more proud of you!”

Marlene looked at him in confusion. “Huh?”

Barret continued, “You stood up for what you believed in, what your Daddy believes in, and you showed that Billy who’s boss!” He looked at her intently. “And – listen here, honey, this is important – there is _nothing_ wrong with that! He wouldn’t listen to the truth, so you made him listen to it!”

“….so I’m not in trouble?” Marlene asked, as if not believing her ears.

“No way, baby girl!” Barret laughed, hoisting her up on his shoulder. Marlene let out a little squeal. “You are no way in trouble! Let’s go get an ice cream!”

“Okay!” Marlene said happily, although still seeming a bit confused. After a moment she wrapped her arms around Barret’s head. “Thanks for not letting me be in trouble, Daddy.”

“Anytime, angel.” Barret kept a slight grip on her as he made his way to the slums.

After a moment, Marlene spoke up.

“Does this mean I can punch anyone that annoys me?”

“Now, I didn’t say _that...”_

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came out of NO WHERE, but I love it! Writing Barret is hilarious and fun, and I always love writing Marlene. Obviously punching a kid isn't the best way to handle things, but I feel like it would be according to Barret XD Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, FFVII Remake, or any of the characters associated with.


End file.
